Ethylene glycol is produced industrially from petrochemical ethylene. As the cost of crude oil continues to rise, this route to ethylene glycol becomes more and more impractical. Recent interest has developed around a process from synthesis gas (CO and H.sub.2) to ethylene glycol over a rhodium-based catalyst, because of the expected availability of synthesis gas from coal gasification programs. Unfortunately, this process is carried out with an expensive catalyst, at high temperature (around 150.degree. C. to 300.degree. C.) and high pressure (around 1,000 to 15,000 psig). Glycolaldehyde could be a valuable specialty chemical, in that it is a low-molecular-weight, highly reactive species, and it is not available commerically.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art chemical processes have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a low-temperature, low-pressure process which uses an inexpensive catalyst to convert formaldehyde to glycolaldehyde and optionally, to ethylene glycol.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a valuable use for synthesis gas (CO and H.sub.2) and thereby to encourage the development of coal gasification technology.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of steps and the details of the composition hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.